


A Better Plan

by mpmottley



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 18:44:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11880531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mpmottley/pseuds/mpmottley
Summary: Mermaid AU- Harry is a pirate, and Uma is a man-eating mermaid who didn't kill him. Together, they search for freedom.Prompt came from the ever wonderful tumblr user whats-a-queen-without-a-king.





	A Better Plan

Uma’s mother struck her across the face, “You listen well, daughter of mine, a man that is allowed to live is a man that will  _kill_  you later. Curse you for your foolishness.”

“He wouldn’t mom!”

“Oh so now you’re in love with him? With this  _pirate_  boy?”

* * *

“I’m not in love with him!” Uma rolled her eyes, “But I  _am_ telling you that he won’t hurt me!”

“You’re a selfish little girl, Uma! You put us all in danger!” Ursula barked, “You  _will_  take care of this, because if you don’t I  _will_.” She demanded, Uma flinched at the threat and turned away, turning her tail toward her mother and swiping a little closer than was necessary.

—–

“You let one get away?!” Hook raged, turning away from his son, unable to look at the disappointment. “You  _spoke_  to her! She didn’t kill you, and you let her get away! Don’t you understand how much gold a live one would be worth?!” Harry looked at his lap, knowing better than to speak “I sent you with one task! If only one of your sisters was a boy,  _they_  could have done it!” His father, the captain, paced back and forth in his quarters. Harry tried to stay as still and quiet as he could in the wooden chair his father had sentenced him to. “You’re as empty headed as your mother was!” That statement had been meant as an insult, Harry knew, but he missed his mother so much that anything that linked him to her couldn’t be a bad thing. “Do you have  _anything_  to say for yourself?!”

“I–” He knew he should think carefully about what he was going to say, but only one thing could occupy his thoughts of her; the way she  _smiled_  when he was kind to her. Her warm brown skin flecked with turquoise scales, and braids draped over her shoulders, and her  _smile_  modest and glowing, and he could sense it was something rare for her to display. “She was beautiful.” he muttered in conclusion, but his father heard it clear as the ticking of a clock.

Hook knocked over the chair with a kick and Harry scrambled  to his feet as quickly as he could, lest he be kicked while he was down. “Of course she was beautiful! They all are!” Hook took a deep breath, and wielded his namesake at his teenage son, “Get out of my sight. We make landfall in two days. I suggest you make yourself useful if you want to remain part of this crew.” he seethed. Harry stomped out of the quarters.

—————–

Uma watched Harry shirk his red coat and dive into the sea, directly toward her. She swished out of his path, retreating further beneath the surface and watching bubbles float around him when he impacted the water. She stared up toward him, sunlight shining on the surface being disrupted by his motion as he breached for air. Right, he couldn’t breathe under water; no gills. She made for the surface and came up just in front of him. He was looking upward, toward the ship.

“Harry!” There was a blonde boy leaning over the rail. He looked the same age as Harry, but less assured of himself, “I hope you know what you’re doing!” Harry glanced at Uma and raised a hand to wave at the other boy; Uma mimicked his gesture. The blonde boy looked like he didn’t know how to react to her. Harry was panting with the effort of treading water and lurched for a protruding shape on the side of the ship to relive some of his struggle.

“Harry, you don’t think before you do anything, do you? I could, and should kill you, right now.” Uma glared, “In fact, that’s why I  _came_  here.” she raised her eyebrows.

“Unfortunately…” Harry breathed, “You’re not going to be able to do that.” He offered, lunging toward her and shoving a piece of fabric in her mouth, wrestling to tie it around the back of her head. She writhed, beating his legs with her tail and clawing at his arms with her webbed fingers. He had the advantage of both size and strength. Now that she was successfully gagged, he wrapped his leather belt around her wrists, using both his legs to hold her against him. “I’m very sorry, Uma, but you’ve no idea what’s at stake here.” He panted, “Gil, throw down the rope!”

—————–

Uma was left in a small dark corner of the ship,  inside of a water barrel with the lid removed. The freshwater could sustain Uma, but she had little room to move and the lack of brine made her quite uncomfortable. Not that she could move anyway, as she was still bound and gagged. She splashed to get some attention from the pirate sitting against a wall nearby. He looked up; it was the blonde one. “Stay put, I’ll get Harry.” he nodded with a small smile and disappeared up a ladder. Uma thought about trying to topple the barrel, but knew she had nowhere to go and certainly wouldn’t make it back to the sea on her own. Not too long later, Harry and the other boy returned. Harry lewdly smirked at her, Holding up a dark purple piece fabric.

“A shirt. Human women cover themselves, and if you don’t want to get ogled once we go ashore, I’d suggest you put this on. I tried to find something soft so it wouldn’t make you too uncomfortable.” he dropped the fabric in the water, she stared at it, menacing and slightly confused. “I’ll unbind your hands, hold them up.” He demanded, approaching with a  dagger  that Gil handed him. Uma hesitated once he was within reach of her “Come on now, I’m not going to hurt you, so long as you don’t try to hurt anyone here.” She looked away from him and held up her hands. He sliced through his old belt easily and unwrapped it from her wrists, leaving angry red bars across her skin.

Uma reached  up immediately and pulled the gag off, tossing it at Harry. “Really? You’re kidnapping me?”

“As I said, you’ve no idea what’s at stake.”

“Yeah,  _your life_  for one thing.” She rolled her eyes, “You’re so lucky I can’t get out of here.” She spat, making sure to bare her sharp teeth for the two men to see.

“We both know I could have just as easily killed you as I did get you aboard this ship.  _You’re_  lucky I’ve granted you that.” She looked away, knowing he was right. A wide amused grin spread on Harry’s face.

“I don’t know how to put this on.” She admitted, holding out the now dripping cloth. Harry sighed and took it from her, turning it over in his hands and sorting it out,

“Your head goes here.” He held the neckline open and she bowed her head for him to put it over her. He let go and she pulled her braids out from under the fabric, exposing her bare chest. Harry, not having the manners to avert his eyes, blushed a bit and Uma glared but didn’t stop him. “Arms here.” He held up the long sleeves. She put her arms in but pushed the sleeves up past her elbows so her fins were exposed. Harry stepped away, “You look quite lovely.”

“Thanks.” She said sarcastically, “Why do you need me on your ship?”

“Gil, go back to your duties, I’ll keep watch.” Harry told his friend, not looking away from the mermaid. The ladder creaked as Gil once again disappeared above deck. “Seafolk are something if a legend among pirates and commoners alike. A live mermaid is worth more gold than we could plunder any day.”

“So I’m no better than heartless gold?” She laughed with derision and disappointment, she had been wrong about him, and it hurt more than she would have expected. She couldn’t make eye contact with him. Harry watched her in silence,

“Did you think I took you from your home to–”

“No, I didn’t. Forget it. Once you sell me to the highest bidder what happens to me?” She turned icy again. Harry smiled,

“Not my problem.” He raised his eyebrows. “We make landfall in two days. When my father finds out that I’ve captured you, I become at least equal to my sisters and fall into his good graces.”

“And after that? You remain part of his crew, which is by far the least menacing I’ve ever seen, a laughing stock among pirates and forever his underling.” She smirked, his expression faltered. She’d found a solution; his freedom and hers. “I have a better idea.”

“Which is?” He became acutely aware of their proximity again, peering down at the half-human and biting on his bottom lip. She knew the look in his eyes, a look she’d received from countless seafarers, seduced by just her appearance.

“There’s word of a witch, one that can turn me human. Take me to her, and I’ll help you win your freedom from your father.” She explained.


End file.
